{"id":1252,"date":"2017-11-16T06:16:57","date_gmt":"2017-11-16T06:16:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=1252"},"modified":"2021-03-15T20:13:30","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T20:13:30","slug":"10-benefits-including-banana-meal-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/10-benefits-including-banana-meal-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Benefits From Including Banana in Your Meal Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Bananas are fantastic fruits if only for their convenience and their taste. Bananas are sweet and soft and unlike other fruits (*cough* oranges *cough*) they don\u2019t take ages to peel and get juice everywhere. This is a great snack that you can grab on your way out the door or that you can throw in your lunch box.<\/p>\n

And this is a very important thing to consider from the off. The most important part of any diet plan, in fact, is to consider \u2018adherence\u2019. This is industry talk for \u2018will you stick to it or not\u2019? You can have the very best and most elaborate diet in the world, but if you give up after day 2, then it won\u2019t do much good. That\u2019s why seeking out things that are highly versatile, easy and delicious can help a great deal!<\/p>\n

But just because bananas are convenient and tasty, don\u2019t be fooled into thinking they aren\u2019t also highly healthy! In fact, bananas have a ton of positive health benefits, many of which often get overlooked. Read on and we\u2019ll take a look at some of their very best benefits.<\/p>\n

1. Carbs<\/h3>\n

Carbs<\/a> often get a bad rap \u2013 especially lately \u2013 for being sugars. Sugar, of course, leads to inflammation, it\u2019s addictive and it\u2019s generally not considered something we should seek out.
\nBut actually, the body needs carbs just like it needs every other major food group. If you don\u2019t get enough carbs, then your energy levels fall and so too does your testosterone.
\nBananas are a fantastic choice for a quick energy pick-me-up then and that\u2019s because they\u2019re a good hit of carbs that won\u2019t add too many calories.<\/p>\n

\"\"2. Potassium<\/h3>\n

Bananas are well known for being incredibly high in potassium<\/a>. This is one of their most important benefits, seeing as potassium can help to reduce your chances of getting cramps as well as improving your athletic performance, mood and mental sharpness too.<\/p>\n

But what\u2019s more, is that potassium is also recommended for those suffering from low blood pressure. This is one of the central tenets of the \u2018DASH\u2019 diet, which basically says you should try to avoid sodium while seeking out potassium, calcium, and magnesium.<\/p>\n

Bananas are among the best sources of potassium there is and when you combine that fact with their handy supply of energy, it\u2019s no surprise that they\u2019re such a favorite among athletes \u2013 especially before a big run!<\/p>\n

\"\"3. Diarrhea<\/h3>\n

Bananas are nice and thick in their consistency and this makes them very useful for adding bulk.<\/p>\n

In particular, this makes them a good choice for if you\u2019re struggling with diarrhea<\/a>. Eat some bananas and they will help to add more weight to your stool while also drawing in the water thanks to the potassium.<\/p>\n

This can also help to replenish lost electrolytes if this has been going on a while.<\/p>\n

\"\"4. Mood<\/h3>\n

It was once thought that bananas would help to boost your mood thanks to the content of dopamine. This has since been challenged, however: not only is dopamine, not a happiness hormone (endorphin) but it\u2019s also not able to cross the blood-brain barrier.<\/p>\n

But what bananas do offer is tryptophan<\/a>. This is a precursor to serotonin, meaning the brain can use it in order to create the most important feel-good hormone of all. At the same time, because serotonin will eventually be converted into melatonin, bananas may also be useful for enhancing your sleep.<\/p>\n

Throw in the fact that carbs also boost your mood and throw in the fact that bananas are so comforting and you have the ideal pick-me-up when you\u2019re feeling low.<\/p>\n

\"\"5. Energy<\/h3>\n

We\u2019ve already seen that bananas are a convenient source of carbohydrates and that this can be useful for providing energy. Likewise, we\u2019ve already seen that they can add potassium to your diet and therefore help to pick your athletic performance up a little.<\/p>\n

But what\u2019s more, is that bananas also contain vitamin B6<\/a>. This crucial B vitamin has a number of benefits but one of the most important is the fact that it helps the body to extract energy from carbohydrates.<\/p>\n

Carbohydrates like banana! So, in other words, when you eat the banana, you improve your ability to use the very energy that the same banana provides!<\/p>\n

\"\"6. Digestion<\/h3>\n

Bananas are an ideal option for indigestion. For starters, they are nice and soft and that means you can eat them when you are struggling with your digestion.<\/p>\n

More importantly though, bananas also offer a natural source of antacids<\/a>. That is to say that they are mildly alkaline. This means that when you eat them when stomach acids are damaging the inside of your stomach, they should be able to soothe and neutralize that acid in order to help ease the pain and calm the stomach.<\/p>\n

\"\"7. Brain Function<\/h3>\n

Bananas are great for your brain function and could give you a little mental boost \u2013 especially once you start approaching that four PM slump. This is partly thanks to the little hit of healthy sugar, which will provide the brain with the sheer energy that it needs to start performing better.<\/p>\n

At the same time though, B6 can also help to improve that energy use further and provide the body with key materials it needs to make more neurotransmitters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Oh and that feel-good serotonin also happens to be very good for the brain \u2013 especially out-the-box thinking!<\/p>\n

\"\"8. Diet-Safe<\/h3>\n

If you have a diet plan already and you\u2019re looking at adding bananas on top of your current meal plans, then you should find that you\u2019re safe to go ahead. After all, bananas are low calorie-containing just 110 for each 30-gram banana \u2013 and they\u2019re also completely fat-free. On top of that, they\u2019re actually cholesterol<\/a> free too!<\/p>\n

Now, cholesterol itself and fat aren\u2019t necessarily bad things. But if you\u2019re avoiding those components of your diet, then you should find that bananas are good to go. And they\u2019re salt-free too, making them even better candidates for the DASH diet.<\/p>\n

\"\"9. Anti-Inflammatory<\/h3>\n

Bananas are naturally anti-inflammatory. That means that they can help to reduce swelling, which in turn makes them a good choice for anyone suffering from conditions like arthritis<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the same time though, this can also help to improve your general health. Many people don\u2019t realize that inflammation can affect us internally too and often in a way that goes unnoticed.<\/p>\n

Inflammation is actually thought to be one of the biggest contributors to brain fog and depression \u2013 which is why it\u2019s so important to combat it any way you can.<\/p>\n

\"\"10. More Minerals and Vitamins<\/h3>\n

We\u2019ve already listed some of the added vitamins and minerals that bananas have to offer: they\u2019re high in potassium, B6 and more.<\/p>\n

But did you know they also contain manganese<\/a>? Or how about biotin? Biotin is a substance that bodybuilders need more of, in particular, seeing as they often actually lower their natural biotin levels by eating raw egg! Bananas are also high in vitamin C, which we don\u2019t have time to dive into now, but is one of the most powerful nutrients of all. They\u2019re high in fiber too\u2026 really, they\u2019re pretty ideal!<\/p>\n

Oh, and they taste great, too!<\/p>\n\r\n

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